Firearm.



T. G. JOHNSON.

FIREARM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 3, 1909.

Patented Sept. 7, 1909.

Almazw. B. GRAHAM c0v Pnom-Lmlmmzns, w-snmewn, u. c

.TI-IOIVIAS C. JOHNSON, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO -VIINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS 00., OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION.

FIREARM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. '7, 1909.

Application filed May 3, 1909. Serial No. 493,562.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS C. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Haven, in the county of New Haven "15 of a tubular magazine take-down firearm constructed in accordance with my invention, the handle being shown in its normal position, 2'. 6., the position which it has preparatory to its retraction for opening the 2 gun, as well as to being shoved forward for taking the gun down. Fig. 2 a broken view of the gun partly in side elevation and partly in vertical longitudinal section of the gunbarrel and magazine as detached from the 2 receiver or gun-frame or taken down, showing the sliding handle at the limit of its forward movement in which it is frictionally held so as to hold the magazine and the action-bar in their take-down positions. Fig. 8 a view of the gun in vertical transverse section on the line ab of Fig. 2. Fig. a broken view in horizontal section on the line c-d of Fig. 1. V My invention relates to an improvement in tubular magazine take-down firearms of that class in which the mechanism of the gun is operated by a sliding handle having a rearwardly extending action-bar which is detachably connected with the mechanism of the gun when the gun is assembled. In guns of this class it is desirable to provide for holding the'handle' and magazine at the extreme limit of their forward movement, or in their so called take-down positions so that the rear end of the magazine and the rear end of the action-bar may be held entirely clear of the receiver to facilitate screwing the gun-barrel thereinto and unscrewing it therefrom.

The object of my present invention is to provide improved means of extreme simplicity for holding the handle and magazine in their so called take-down positions.

With these ends in view my invention consists in certain details of construction and combinations of parts as will be hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In carrying out my invention as herein shown, I employ a holding spring 2 having the opposite edges of its forward end formed with corresponding notches 3 adapting it to be set into a shallow recess 4 formed in the waist of theclip 5 secured by a clampingscrew 6 to the barrel 7 for the support of the forward'end of the tubular magazine 8 which is adapted to slide back and forth through the clip upon which the spring 2 rests, the spring being slightly bowed from end to end so that its middle portion just clears the upper face of the magazine. The said spring 2 as thus constructed and located, is only brought into play when the gun is taken down, as will be explained later on.

At its extreme rear end the barrel 7 is provided with interrupted threads 9 adapting it to be secured by a quarter turn to the gunframe or receiver 10 the front end of which is formed with a socket'll provided with corresponding threads. By turning the barrel a quarter turn in one direction or the other these threads are interlocked for firmly securing the barrel in place, or disengaged for the removal of the barrel.

At a point just in front of the interrupted threads 9, the barrel is furnished with a transversely arranged depending band 12 the rear face of which bears upon the front face of the receiver 10 when the gun is assembled. The said band 12 is formed with an opening 13 for the reception of the rear end of the magazine 8 which slides through it, the projecting rear end of the magazine being furnished with interrupted threads 14 which take into corresponding interrupted threads formed in a socket 15 in the gun-frame or receiver 10. By turning the magazine a quarter turn in one direction or the other, it is either secured to, or disconnected from the receiver, the magazine being adapted to be turned as described by its provision, as shown, with a transversely arranged, longitudinally movable pin 16 which forms, as it were, a handle for turning the magazine. When the magazine is connected with the receiver it acts on account of its passage through the band 12, as a bolt for preventing the barrel from turning int-he receiver. The band 12 is also provided with a bearing opening 17 for the passage and sliding movement through it,

of an action-bar 18 having its rear end adapted by means of a lug 19 to be detachably connected with the action mechanism of the gun, which is not shown. This action-bar terminates at its forward end in a short sheet-metal sleeve 20 brazed or otherwise secured within a sheet-metal shell 21 which extends throughout the length of the handle-grip 22, the said shell and grip forming the main parts of the sliding operating handle which, as shown, is mounted upon the magazine. The short sleeve 20 carries at its rear end a flange 2,3 abut-ting against the rear edge of the handle grip the forward edge of which is inclosed and protected by a ferrule-like cap 24 of ordinary construction.

To stop the forward movement of the sliding-handle in its normal position when the gun is assembled, I provide the magazine with a fixed stoprcollar 25 and with a stop-spring 26 in the form of a split ring encircling the magazine at a point directly in the rear of the said collar against the rear edge of which the forward edge .of the stop-spring abuts. When the handle has been moved forward nearly to the limit of its normal position, the forward edge of the -sleeve 20 engages with the stop-spring 26 which, acting as a buffer against the collar 2,), stops the forward movement of the handle in the normal position thereof, this being the position which the handle normally has in the gun when the same is in use. The magazine is also provided with astop-lug 27 which, when the gun is taken down, limits the forward movement of the magazine by engaging with the rear face of the clip 5, whereby the rear end of the magazine is prevented from being drawn forward out of the band 12.

When the gun is assembled, the handle is never moved forward of the position in which it is shown in Fig. l, and therefore when the gun is assembled the holding spring 2 is never brought into play. Preparatory to taking the gun down, the pin 16 is employed to rotate the magazine 8 a quarter turn, whereby its interrupted threads 1% are disengaged from those in the socket 15. of the receiver. The magazine having thus been disconnected from the receiver, the sliding handle is moved forward to the limit of its forward movement in which it is shown in Fig. 2, whereby its forward end is caused to ride over and compress the holding spring 2 which enters the cap 24 at the forward end of the handle grip 22. As the handle is moved forward as described, it carries along with it the magazine which is finally stopped at the limit of its forward excursion by the engagement of its stop lug 27 with the band 5, the magazine being immediately picked up so to speak, by the handle because the handle at the time it be-.

receiver 10,

gins its forward movement from its normal position, has the forward edge of its sleeve 20 engaged with the split ring 26 which in turn is engaged with the fixed stop-collar 2,5. The forward movement of the handle beyond its normal position is suflicient to move the rear end of the action-bar 18 far enough forward to clear the rear face of the band 12, while the forward movement of the magazine with the handle is sufiicient to clear its rear end from the rear face of the band 12, thus preparing the way for the rotation of the barrel 7 through the quarter turn required for disconnecting it from the When the handle is moved forward so as to ride over the holding spring 2, the same is placed under sufficient tension to hold the handle at the limit of its forward excnrsion, and 1180 to hold the magazine at the limit of its forward excursion, the ma azine being so held by the sleeve 20 of the handle andthe stop-collar 25 and the stop-ring 26 of the magazine, these being h t k dow p itions of t e ha and magazine. It will thus appear that the holding spring 2, which is only brought i to p ay at th t me the gu is ake down, will hold both the handle and the magazine in their take-down positions not only preparatory to taking the gun down, but also when the gun is taken down, and during the nperationrof screwing the barrel hack i h eheiver- I claim z? 1, In a take-down firearm, the combina tion With e ba re her f, f a s d g handle, an action-bar extending rearward t eliQf -Qm, and m s located i pos t n e eng g Wit the f r a d nd o he handle fer frictionally holding the same in its take-down position.

2. In a take-down firearm, the combination with the barrel thereof, of a sliding ha dle, n Ash ar ex ding a wa therefrom, and a holding spring for engages ment by the forward end of the handle when the same is in its take-down position, where? by the handle is held in' its take-down p' i a 3, In a take-down firearm, the combina io w th t e arr l e of a tub magazi supp rt d a re a orward en a liding h ndl m nt p n h magazine, an action-bar extending rearward from the said handle, a holding spring rests ng 1 .0 the magazine in p iti [to be en's-aged y he rwa d, d of h andl w n the ame is a the im f it fhrward excursion and therefore in its takedown posit on, a eans s i g thr ugh th handle or helding the magazi e a he limit of its forward excursion and hence in its take-down position, 1

t n ak -d wn fi e rm, the combin tion with t e bar el t reef, of h udand a clip depending therefrom, a tubular magazine supported at its rear and forward ends in the said band and clip through which it is free to slide, a sliding handle mounted upon the magazine, an actlon-loar extending rearward from the said handle, a holding spring resting upon the magazine in position to be engaged by the forward end of the handle when the same is at the limit of its forward excursion and therefore in its take-down position, and means acting through the handle for holding the magazine at the limit of its forward excursion and hence in its take-down position.

5. In a take-down firearm, the combination with the barrel thereof, of a band and clip depending therefrom, a tubular magazine supported at its rear and forward ends in the said band and clip, and having its rear end provided with interrupted threads for its connection with the receiver of the gun, a sliding handle on the magazine, an action-bar extendingrearward from the said handle and through the said band, and

THOMAS C. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

DANIEL H. VEADER, WALTER M. THOMPSON. 

